Can opener



l March 9 1926T Filed June 5 1924 Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

` UNITED STATES GEORGE M. BATTEY, JR., or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or GOLUMBIA.

canI OPENER.

Application led June 5, 1924. Serial' No. 718,111.

T0: all whom t mayl conce/m:

Be. 1t known that I, Gronau M. BA'rfrnv,

Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at 1403 New York Ave., iVashingtom District of Columbia, have invented certain newand usefulInipi'ovenients in: Can Open ers, of which the following is. a specification. Y

This invention relatesk to: cany openers, one of the objects beingtor provide a simple` and efficient-device which isinexpensive'to manufacture, andy canv be operated with absolute Safetywi-thout injury to'theuser; f 4

Another object of this inuention is to provide a shielding means yto the', can.l puncturging proj ections whennot: in use, to enable it to be safely Carried in the pocket, 0r to: be. packed ini` auto; lunch, kitsv and' the like, by campers and tourists.

With the foregoing andl other objects in view which, will appear-,astihe description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of invention has been shown.

In said drawings Fig. l, is a view in perspective. Fig. 2, is a sectional View. Fig. 3, is a view in cross section showing the invention in use. Fig. 4, is a view in cross section showing the guard in place, and Fig.V

5, is a view of the cutter attachment.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, l designates a handle block of wood or other suitable. material to which are attached the cutter 2 and the central pivot 8. The pivot 3 is formed with a tapering pointed head having an annular groove 4: formed around the body part of the pivot 3 intermediate of the point and the base.

The cutter 2 is formed of a Hat piece of steel terminating in a V-shaped point 5 with its edges sharpened to form a cutting blade. The cutter 2 has formed therein, intermediate of the point 5, and the block l, a notch 6, one side of which is also formed with a cutting edge, this cutting edge being approximately at an angle of 45 from a vertical line, the other edge of the notch 6 is formed parallel to and flush with the yunder surface 7 of theblockA 1?. The angularityv of the cutting edgeaof: the notch G. forms an important feature of` the invention as will be hereinafter more fully explained. i

- The undersurface 7 of the blo-ck l may beL faced withV non-ferrous metal to guard against wear or the block itself may, be madewholly of such metal, and if so made, it would be preferably of: aluminum.

For the purpose of protecting the points V of the pivot pin 3 and thecutter point 5 and ythe further purposeof guarding against these .pointsl coming into abrasive; contact with other surfaces, Ij provide ay novel detachable cover guard 8,which is interchangeably adapted tobe placedon either side of the block 1. I f y For the purpose of suitably attaching.. the cover number 8? to'either side: ofgthe; block l there is provided the apertures 9*9 eX tending through the block 1. lAdapted to reside within the apertures 9 9 are the dowels l0-10. rIlhe dowels 10-10 are suitably attached to the cover member 8 forming an integral part thereof.

The dowels lO-lO have formed. around their circumference an annular groove 11- 11', adapted to register with and engage the retaining bolts 12*12 operatively mounted for` reciprocal movement in the apertures 18-13 formed in the ends of the block 1. For the purpose of holding the bolts 12-12 in a yieldingly extended position against thedowels 10-10 there is provided the coil springs 14-14 adapted to reside within the apertures 13-13 intermediate of the head of the bolts 12-12 and the retaining plug 15-15, providing a form of yieldable fastening well known in the art.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that by so looatingthe grooves 11-11 on the dowels 10-l0,that the grooves will be positioned at a point equivalent to the center of the thickness of the block. The cover member 8 may be placed on either side .of the block 1 and the grooves 11-11 will register with the bolts 12-12 thereby detachably holding the cover member on either side of the block 1 as may be desired. When the cover member 8' is placed on the opposite side of the block l to the cutter member, a better hand hold is aiforded in operating the can opener as well as forming a more nished appearance.

When it is desired to open a can, the cover member 8 is detached from its position of shielding` the projecting points 3 and 5 and is positioned on the opposite side of the block 1 as shown in Fig. 2. The point 3 is placed in a central position on the top or head of the usual form of provision can and by exerting sufficient pressure, the point 3 isy caused to puncture the can head. Additional pressure exerted over the point 5 causes the cutter to puncture the can top at a point near the rim. In this position the can opener is turned on the pivot 3 and the cutter severs a circular disk from the head of the can. As the disk is completely severed, the groove 4 on the pivot 3 tends to retain the disk on the opener and prevents it from falling into the contents of the can.

As pressure is exerted to turn the opener, due to the angularity of the cutting edge of the notch 6, the sheet metal forming the head of the can being cut will have tendency to ride up on the cutting edge of the notch 6, which induces an attraction between the head of the can beingl opened, and the under surface 7 of blockl. This attraction aids in maintaining the can opener in position to Vmost effectively carry out its functions.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letv` 30v ters Patent is l. A can opener comprising a hand hold block formed of separable upper and lower members, yieldable retaining means for joining said members, a centering pivot- `mounted on the lower block member, a cutvterspaced apart from said centering pivot and adapted to cause the cutter to traverse an arc of a circle during the cutting operation.

2. A can opener comprising a handle member, a cutter mounted on said member, a centering pivot spaced apart from said cutter, a cap member adapted to be detachably positioned on either side of said handle member, and yieldable retaining means for holding said cap member in position.

3. A can opener comprising laterally severable body members, a cutter mounted on one of said severable members, a central pivot projecting from said member and spaced apart from said cutter adapted to retain said cutter in concentric relation thereto in the cutting operation and means comprising the other severable body member 'for covering the projecting pivot and cutter substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

GEORGE M. BATTEY, JR. 

